Kelley Layzner

Kelley Layzner (ケリィ・レズナー, Kerii Rezunā) was a former Principality of Zeon mobile suit pilot who lost an arm and a leg during the Battle of A Baoa Qu. Years later he resurfaced near Torrington, constructing the Val Varo mobile armour in a coastal junkyard and clashing with the assault carrier Albion during Operation Stardust.

Biography

Kelley Layzner struggled to reconcile his Zeon loyalties with life after the One Year War, ultimately returning to combat when the Delaz Fleet reignited hostilities.

One Year War scars

Kelley served with Zeon’s space attack forces through the late stages of the One Year War. He fought at both Solomon and A Baoa Qu, where heavy crossfire cost him his left arm and right leg. Refusing surrender, he retreated with other holdouts and relied on crude prosthetics to regain mobility.

Junkyard reconstruction

By UC 0083, Kelley lived on the Australian coast near Torrington Base, running a scrapyard that hid the construction of the experimental Val Varo mobile armour. He partnered with Anaheim Electronics engineer Nina Purpleton, who quietly supplied parts and calibration support out of respect for his skills and their shared wartime history. Kelley viewed the Val Varo as both a livelihood and proof that Zeon veterans could not be erased.

Duel with Albion

When Anavel Gato stole the GP02A, Kelley answered a Delaz Fleet request to impede the pursuing Albion. Launching in the finished Val Varo, he intercepted Kou Uraki over the sea and pushed the prototype RX-78GP01 Gundam Zephyranthes to its limits. Despite the mobile armour’s heavy firepower and Kelley’s experience, Kou disabled the Val Varo’s binders, forcing Kelley into a terminal dive that ended his life.

Physical appearance

Kelley Layzner was a tall, gaunt man whose missing left arm and right leg were replaced with mechanical prosthetics. He wore sleeveless work overalls and a harness that secured him within improvised cockpits, while goggles and a welding mask protected his face during long hours in the junkyard.

Personality & traits

Kelley Layzner embodied Zeon’s stubborn pride. He valued craftsmanship, despised pity, and believed that proving the worth of mobile armour design would justify the sacrifices he and his comrades made. His gratitude toward Nina remained buried beneath a brusque exterior, yet he shielded her from Federation patrols to repay her discretion.

Skills & abilities

Kelley Layzner retained ace-level piloting instincts despite his injuries, compensating for prosthetic limitations with disciplined thruster management. He was also a gifted mechanic who could rebuild salvaged war machines into functional test beds, culminating in the Val Varo’s successful activation without formal factory support.

Relationships

Kelley Layzner maintained only a handful of meaningful ties after the war, each shaped by shared battles or mutual respect.

Nina Purpleton

Nina Purpleton supplied Kelley with Anaheim spare parts and test data, trusting him as a fellow engineer who understood the burdens of weapons development. Kelley accepted her help on the condition that she remain uninvolved when the Val Varo returned to combat.

Kou Uraki

Kou Uraki became Kelley’s final opponent when the Albion intercepted the Val Varo. Kelley initially dismissed Kou as an inexperienced Federation pilot, yet he acknowledged the young man’s determination even as their duel spiralled toward tragedy.

Equipment

Kelley Layzner piloted the Val Varo, a heavily armed mobile armour fitted with scattering mega-particle cannons, wire-guided claws, and thruster pods that suited his hit-and-fade tactics. He also relied on custom prosthetics integrated with the cockpit harness, allowing neural inputs to translate into manoeuvring commands.

Legacy

Kelley Layzner’s defeat jolted Kou Uraki into recognising the cost of the Albion’s pursuit, and his death deprived the Delaz Fleet of a rare mobile armour specialist. Stories of his junkyard workshop circulated among Zeon remnants, reinforcing the myth that their veterans could rearm in the colonies’ shadow.

Behind the scenes

Kelley Layzner was created for Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory to depict the lingering casualties of the One Year War. His prosthetics and improvised hangar underscored the production team’s emphasis on physical consequences for veteran pilots.

Appearances

Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory – episode 5

External links

Kelley Layzner on the Gundam Wiki